Winchester "Extra Smooth" Bourbon

It smells like wet cardboard with some floral notes. Holy cow, this tastes awful. It does indeed taste like wet cardboard and gross bread with some clear floral and mineral elements. There's some spice, but otherwise I would never guess that this was a bourbon. It's really disgusting, no matter what it gets classified as. It's about as light as Hayes Parker and it tastes about the same quality. It's super weak with a really strong wet cardboard and gross bread presence. The harshness is surprisingly substantial and it's super drying. This can't have been aged very long. It smells richer than Hayes Parker and it tastes richer too. The bitterness up front helps it to pretend that it has some complexity even though none develops and the bitterness is awful. There are a lot of bad floral and bitter notes here with definite minerals and nectar, but at the end of the day, this tastes mostly like particularly bad Irish whiskey, so at least it tastes more like something than Hayes Parker does. Although their flavor profiles are different, this is close in quality to Clan MacGregor. I'd say it's about a point worse though (it loses the point in the scotch to Irish translation). Had I not tried Hayes Parker right before this, this awful Winchester Extra Smooth would be the worst bourbon I've ever tasted. What's extra ridiculous is that even though the flavor is weak, there's quite a bit of harshness and bitterness here, so it isn't smooth at all. Wow, actually, on second comparison, Clan MacGregor is noticably better. Wow, what a low bar this has fallen beneath. For clarity though, Hayes Parker is still much worse. God, I sure do believe the 6 month minimum age statement on this - and I think that's the maximum too. It's amazing how bad this is. The worst part is the price the sell this for - it makes me want to puke.

Color: Chestnut gold Nose: A familiar nose I notice with young bourbons that I cannot quite place but it is off putting. A “funk” for a lack of a better term. Overwhelms the glass. Rubber….maybe? After a little research perhaps it is “corn-syrup”? A plastic Mattel doll... I am sad this is the first bourbon I have tried after I sprung for a four-piece set of Glencairn Whisky Glasses. C’est la vie. Palate: Light mouthfeel and a flabby palate. Thin with notes of fresh corn and… corn syrup. It just tastes undone. Little heat which surprised me due to the offensive nose. There is just nothing there. Finish: Finish is short and welcoming due to the overall palate. You could mix this but why would you.

Wholly in agreement with the tasting notes. It’s not awful, there's just not much there. Add a couple drops of cold water and it disappears. While this does indeed go down smooth, it really has no other standout qualities. I'd say use it as a mixer, but could it actually stand up to anything you would mix it with? It's cheap enough, but even at this price point, and below, there's better options. Really glad I only got a mini.

The "extra smooth" moniker is no doubt meant to appeal to new or uneducated bourbon drinkers. The idea of marketing a product as "extra smooth," while there is a more mature version of the same bourbon adjacent to this on the shelf is borderline insulting. The name and packaging are also an obvious nod to the firearms manufacturer - perhaps TerrePURE is making assumptions about the intelligence of gun owners.

Young, grassy, strong ‘red hots’ cinnamon smell. Not pleasant- Harsh alcohol taste masks anything else on the pallet. Bit of grass and hay in the taste- almost like a scotch. The cinnamon is in finish but is very quick. Hard pass on this one...so much better is out there in this price range.

Bought a miniature at Total Wine to give it a shot. This is one of their "Spirits Direct" that they're always recommending. One of the worst bourbons that I've tasted. A half a star is being too generous. If you're looking for an inexpensive bourbon stick with Evan Williams